QUARTERLY EMPLOYMENT SURVEY

About the Quarterly Employment Survey (QES):

The Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) is a component of the All-India Quarterly Establishment-based Employment Survey (AIQEES) (AQEES).
It applies to businesses in the organized sector that employ ten or more people in nine different industries.
Manufacturing, Construction, Trade, Transportation, Education, Health, Accommodation and Restaurants, Information Technology/BPO, and Financial Service Activities are the nine sectors.
The goal is to give the government the tools it needs to develop a “strong national policy on employment.”
In 1998, India ratified the ILO’s Employment Policy Convention of 1964, which mandates ratifying nations to follow “an active policy geared to encourage full, productive, and freely selected employment.” Currently, India lacks a National Employment Policy (NEP).

While the QES focuses on the demand side of the labor market, the National Sample Survey or Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) focuses on the supply side.
The National Statistical Organization (NSO) and the Ministry of Statistics and Public Information (MoSPI) are in charge of the PLFS (Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation).
Problem with QES Statistics: Because the QES only covers establishments with at least 10 employees, it only gives data on the formal economy.
Given that informal workers (those without written contracts or benefits) make for nearly 90% of India’s workforce, the QES only gives a limited picture of the labor market.

Over a base of 2013-14, shows a 29 percent rise in employment in nine sectors during the peak Covid-19 months of April-June 2021. (Sixth Economic Census – EC).
The proportion of women in the workforce has decreased.
From 31% in the 6th EC (2013) to 29% in the QES data for 2021.
Seven of the nine industries showed job growth, while only two (Trade and Accommodation and Restaurants) saw job losses.
During the period 2013-2021, the IT/BPO industry grew at the fastest rate of 152 percent.
There has been an absolute increase in employment figures between 1998 and 2021.
The period 2005-2013 had the highest employment growth rate (38%) since 1998 (4th EC).
Between 1998 and 2021, the simple growth rate of employment fluctuated and was not linear.

Source: THE HINDU.